Lapierre takes Eastern Creek double for Team France

A1 Grand Prix proved, for the second time,
safety is one of the most important factors in the build of its 3.4
litre V8-engined race cars. At Eastern Creek it was the car entered by
A1 Team Japan that suffered a crash that totally destroyed the...

A1 Grand Prix proved, for the second time,
safety is one of the most important factors in the build of its 3.4
litre V8-engined race cars. At Eastern Creek it was the car entered by
A1 Team Japan that suffered a crash that totally destroyed the car but
left the driver Hayanari Shimoda unhurt. It was on lap 26 that the car,
travelling at high speed, went off the track and crashed into a wall in
turn one.

For a few heart-stopping moments while the rescue crews arrived at the
scene the driver's condition was unknown but it rapidly became clear
the tub of the car had held up amazingly to the force of the accident.
Shimoda was momentarily knocked unconscious but by the time he was
extracted from the cockpit and taken to the medical centre he was
conversing with the medical staff. A preliminary examination by Dr Paul
Trafford, the A1 Grand Prix Medical Delegate, found no further injuries
but the Japanese driver was transferred by helicopter to Westmead
Hospital for a CT scan and further precautionary checks.

Dr Trafford complimented CAMS, the circuit medical staff, Meditrak and
the marshals for their professional handling of the incident.

The race itself was won by A1 Team France, bringing their tally of
victories up to six out of eight. A1 Team Great Britain matched their
previous highest place from EuroSpeedway Lausitz with a second in
Australia and A1 Team Switzerland claimed the final podium position.

At the start of the Feature race, it was the Portuguese car from second
on the grid that was away first leading into the turn one. A bad start
from France meant that at the end of lap one they were lying second with
Brazil third.

The first retirement of the race came from A1 Team South Africa when
their car went off the track after swerving to avoid A1 Team Italy on
lap one and hit the barrier. The teams started their obligatory pit stop
sequence quite early with Ireland pitting first at the end of lap two,
having dropped down from fourth on the grid to twelfth. The order at the
top of the pack stayed the same until A1 Team Portugal incurred a drive
through penalty on lap eight for a false start, a mistake which cost
them the lead as France took the opportunity to re-gain the top spot.

Turn two struck again on lap 8 when Mexico and Russia clashed and both
went off. A1 Team Lebanon narrowly avoided them, going off the track but
managing to continue the race. The safety car was deployed and those
who had not pitted at the start seized their chance. At the end of lap
nine A1 Team's France and Great Britain both went into the pits putting
Lebanon in front. With no overtaking under the safety car, they withheld
their position until the safety car peeled off at the end of lap 12 and
then the team's moment of glory was over as France and Great Britain
overtook but they were still in the top three at the end of lap 13.

A1 Team Brazil were then the subject of a drive through penalty for
a pit lane infringement, dropping them from eighth to tenth, but the
safety car was due to be deployed yet again when the Austrian and Czech
Republic cars collided on lap 18. When racing resumed again at the end
of lap 21, the Irish car was too quick off the mark starting to overtake
before crossing the start finish line. For this the team received a 25
second penalty which was applied after the end of the race and dropped
them down from eighth to fourteenth.

France was again able to increase its lead at the front of the field and
was pulling away from A1 Team Great Britain when the Japanese car had
its accident on lap 26. The safety crews worked as hard as they could to
remove the damaged car but when the safety car pulled off at the end of
lap 33, the one hour rule would only allow for two further laps which
meant a 35 rather than a 40 lap race.